Kent Green Hop brewing is under way!

With just a few weeks to go before the start of Kent Green Hop Beer Fortnight brewers are rushing around like crazy to grab those fresh hops and make them into beer.

Be sure to join us at Canterbury Food & Drink Festival from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th September and in the county’s pubs between 27th Sept and 11th Oct for your chance to drink this year’s Kent Green Hop Beers!

It was the first to brew a Kent Green Hop Beer last year and for the second year running the first brew has been carried out by Old Dairy of Rolvenden, near Cranbrook.

They completed their first KGHB on 30th August using locally sourced Phoenix hops. Brewer David Berry said, “We’re really pushing the boat out this year and are producing six brews. Four of these will be standard pale ales at 4% ABV, but all will be using a different hop,”

He added: “We’ve also brewed two of our regular beers with green hops. Copper Top is now Copper Hopper and our Wild Hop Ale (which isn’t really part of the Fortnight as it features a hop from Sussex) is called Wet & Wild.”

Old Dairy’s three single hopped KGHBs will feature Admiral, Challenger and Target respectively.

Fastest brew

Old Dairy may be first but Kent Brewery in Birling (north west of Maidstone) are claiming to be fastest. Their Twitter feed says they managed to get their hops into the copper in just 2.5 hours from bine to brew!

New faces

Mad Cat Peter shovelling fresh green hops!

New to Kent Green Hop Beer Fortnight is Mad Cat Brewery in Faversham. It has thrown itself into the spirit of the Fortnight and is making two brews, Mad Cat Autumn Sun and Mad Cat Autumn Moon. (NB Only Autumn Sun will be available at the launch. Autumn Moon will is to be released the following week.)

Autumn Sun has been named for the colour of the beer and will feature Fuggles hops.

Mad Cat got its hops from Redsell’s Farm which is just four miles away from the brewery.

If you’ve just popped by the website don’t forget to sign up to get Kent Green Hop News by email so you’re up to date with all this year’s happenings.